Methi Paratha

A wonderful way to make these parathas.I used to always make them by using methi leaves directly in the dough and I never found it very delicious. A punjabi friend of mine taught me a new way and it came out awesome.Here goes the recipe:
Methi Paratha
Ingredients:

• Atta or whole wheat flour:3 cups
• Methi: one bundle
• Spring onion: 5-6 sticks
• Corrainder leaves: 1 bundle
• Ginger: finely chopped 1 tea spoon
• Lemon juice of one lemon
• Salt to taste

Procedure

• Wash the methi leaves,spring onion and corrainder leaves thoroughly
• Do not remove the stem of the methi leaves.Grind all the above of step 1 with ginger and a little water to make a fine paste.
• Add salt to taste and lemon juice to the paste.
• Now add this paste to the wheat flour and knead it with the paste.If needed add little water .
• Make round parathas and place on a hot pan.Apply butter on both sides and cook till it is roasted
• Serve hot with butter,pickle and curd.

No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 412, Saturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 640mg, Dietary Fiber: 7g, Total Fat: 13g, Carbs: 56g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Protein: 22g

Carb Choices: 3.5

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 25 mins
This is a recipe I got from one of the health sites and it came out very well.If you dont like Brocolli, you can substitute it with vegetables of your choice.

Ingredients

• 8 ounce(s) pasta, whole-wheat, cooked, elbow noodles (2 cups)
• 1 package(s) broccoli, frozen chopped, 10-ounce package
• 1 3/4 cup(s) milk, lowfat (1%), divided
• 3 tablespoon flour, all-purpose
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, white, ground
• 3/4 cup(s) cheese, cheddar, shredded, shredded
• 1/4 cup(s) cheese, Parmesan, shredded
• 1 teaspoon mustard, Dijon

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined.

3. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar, Parmesan and mustard until the cheese is melted.

4. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Raw Pudina Chutney

This chutney is an absolute delicacy.A recent item I learned from one of my friends.I was a little apprehensive about it since, all the items are raw but it tastes awesome.Here it goes:

Ingredients

• Pudina/Mint leaves: 2 bunches
• Curd: 1.5 cups
• Garlic : 1 pod
• Spring onions: 1 bunch
• Ginger: 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice of one lemon
• Salt to taste
• Green chillis: 2

Procedure

• The process is very simple for this raw and healthy chutney.Just grind all of the above with a little water if required.
• Add salt to taste
• Store in an air tight container in the fridge and serve cold with parathas or rotis.It also goes well with rice.Has a cooling effect on the stomach during summer.

Arbi or Seppankizhangu roast or curry

Taro Root/Colocacia/Seppankizhangu roast , is a dish that can be called the favourite of the household. It is a delicacy because of the care one needs to take while cooking this dish.An ideal combination is arbi roast, rasam and rice.

 Items needed

• Arbi as per the number of people.I usually need around 1kg for 2-3 people.
  
• Red Chilli powder 2-3 tea spoons as per your taste
• Urad dal : 3 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds: 1tea spoon
• Salt to taste.
• Oil 3-4 table spoons
• Tumeric powder: 1tea spoon

Procedure

• Wash the arbi well and leave the skin on.We shall peel it later
• We need to boil or steam the arbi to a point where it is soft to roast but not mushy.This is where a lot of care needs to be taken.I usually boil it in an open pan since steaming it in a pressure cooker is very unpredicatable.
• Take a big cooking vessel full of water.Add all the arbi to it and cover the vessel.
• Let the arbi cook in water till it is a little soft.You can test this by piercing a couple of them with a fork and if the fork gets through the arbi is fine.
• As soon as you remove it from flame, strain the arbi and wash it with cold water.
• Now peel immediately and chop into semi circles or circles.
• Take a cooking pan and add the oil.
• Add mustard seeds to the oil and the urad dal.
• Once the mustard seeds splutter, add to the oil tumeric powder and red chilli powder and mix well
• Now add the chopped arbi , salt and roast on a slow flame
• Keep stirring till it gets evenly roasted.

Serve hot with rasam and rice

Mooli Paratha

Parathas are ideal for nutritious lunch or dinner or even a snack.A blend of veggies,wheat and fat it is a wholesome dish.

Ingredients

• 1tsp amchur powder
  
• 1bunch coriander leaves
  
• pinch of cumin powder
  
• 2 Green chillies
  
• 1/2 tsp Oil
  
• 2 medium Radish
  
• 1/2tsp red chilli powder
  
• salt to taste
  
• 2 cups wheat flour
  
• Oil or butter to fry the parathas

Procedure

• Take a radish, Peel the radish and grate it.
  

1st Method

• Add salt,red chilli,amchur,cumin powder,green chillies finely chopped,coriander leaves, mix well and Squeeze this mixture and remove water from it and keep aside.
  
• Now take wheat flour and make dough with drained radish water,little oil, and normal water.
  
• Rest it for 15 min.
  
• Divide the dough into small equal parts make a small chapati and stuff the mooli mixture into it and make a chapati.You can also make two flat chapatis and stuff the mooli between them and then make it even.
  
• Take a pan, heat it and fry the parathas slowly. Fry them on both the sides with butter or ghee or oil.
• 2nd method,
•  Take a pan, heat it and fry the grated raddish,add red chilli,cumin,amchur,salt,onions,mix well till the raddish becomes dry.
  
• Divide the dough into small equal parts.make a small chapati andstuff the mooli mixture into it and make a big chapati.
  
• Take a pan, heat it and fry the parathas slowly. Fry them on both the sides with butter or ghee or oil.
  
• Serve hot with onion raita
  

Coconut chutney

Coconut chutney is a yummy accompaniment to dosas, idlis or everyone to have with plain rice.

Here go the simple steps:

Items needed

Chana dal: 4 tbsps 

Grated coconut:one cup 

Green chillis : three 

Tamarind extract: 1/2 tsp 

Ginger: chopped 2 tbsps

 Salt to taste

 Water one cup

For seasoning

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Urad dal: 1 tsp

 Oil : 1tsp

Procedure

 Dry roast chana dal till it is reddish.Let it cool for 10 mins

Grind the chana dal, coconut,tamarind,ginger,green chillis with water to make a fine paste.Add salt to taste

In a pan prepare the seasoning by adding mustard seeds and urad dal to one tsp of hot oil.When the mustard seeds splutter remove from flame and add the seasoning to the chutney.

Server hot with dosas or idlis

Microwave Peda Recipe

A quick way to make this delicious, all time favourite sweet-Peda.

This is a recipe from my Lax aunty whose 25 years in States forced her to find ways to make and relish Indian savouries.

 Well this Peda tastes awesome and being here in the States it was about a year I had not had this sweet. The result was within 5 minutes of its making my husband and I devoured about 20 pedas :)  

The taste to some extent also resembles milk khoa or tartipaal of the south. Well here goes the quickest way to make pedas.

Items

• Sweetened Condensed Milk : one small can of 14 oz or 396 gms
• Dry milk powder : 2 cups
• Unsalted butter : one stick around 113 gms
• Elaichi powder: 1 tsp optional
• Almonds and pistachios: optional

Procedure

• For making this, it is preferrable to use a glass microwave bowl with a little depth.This is because the mixture will keep bubbling and a little depth will prevent it from spilling out
• Heat the stick of butter in the microwave safe bowl till it melts
• Now remove from the microwave and all the condensed milk and milk powder and elaichi powder if present .Stir well to mix it up.
• Now keep the bowl in the microwave and heat for 3 minutes.During these 3 minutes , remove from microwave and stir every minute.
• After 3 minutes place the mixture in the microwave and heat for smaller durations like 30 secs.This is because the mixture will now start bubbling and you will have to switch off the heat and remove and stir it every 30 seconds.
• Do this for about 2-3 minutes.
• The mixture after this would have considerably thickened.
• Now let the mixture cool for 15 mins and then make small peda shaped balls.
• You can add an almond or pistachio in the center of every peda to add to the flavour and appearance.